Shelter
by Zanecole421
Summary: During one of the worst days of his life Dipper meets a startling stranger who helps him out. When they meet again how will Dipper react? Also, how long will it take him to realise it's the same person? University AU. BillDip.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was meant to be a short and cute one-shot and then my mind ran away from me. I hope you enjoy. This is BillDip so if you don't like that pairing don't read.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own 'Gravity Falls' it belongs to Alex Hirsch and his amazing team. I'm not making any money from writing this.**

Things could literally not get any worse for Dipper right now.

He was practically jogging down the street running late for his 9 AM lecture looking like a mad man, but he'd never missed a class before in his life and he didn't plan on starting now.

It was all Mabel's fault anyway but he couldn't give that excuse to his lecturer even if it was actually the truth.

The nineteen-year-old twins lived together in a flat about half an hour's walking distance from their university. They were in their second year now and they did have the option to live on campus for their first year; but they'd have to find accommodation off campus for the following years anyway so they chose to live off campus. What was the point of postponing the inevitable for a year? And besides they'd lived together for eighteen years without killing each other, what were three more? They knew each other's habits and how to read their moods with just a look. It was the perfect solution because like hell would they be able to afford the rent by themselves.

So back to it being completely Mabel's fault. She had been teasing him about Wendy – _again_ ; he was over her already! – and he'd gone to bed in a bad mood leading him to forget about setting his alarm for the following morning. Mabel then, didn't think to wake him so by the time his body woke up by itself he had thirty minutes to reach his lecture in time.

He leap out of bed like it electrocuted him once he realised the time, dressed at lighting speed with whatever his hands reached first so he was a fashion disaster (not that he cared about fashion in the slightest, that was Mabel's area of expertise; she was taking the fashion design course after all), grabbed his bag which he thankfully had the habit of packing the day before, skipped breakfast and in turn forgot his lunch before running out the door with a yelled goodbye in Mabel's general direction.

He left his apartment building at a brisk walk but then decided that, that wasn't going to cut it, so he moved into what Mabel had dubbed 'the trot'. Not quite walking but not running either. He spared a second to look at his watch and knew that 'the trot' wasn't going to cut it either. Moving into a slow jog at the risk of looking like a crazy person, Dipper didn't really care; he could not; repeat, could _not_ miss this lecture.

And then the heavens opened. Yesterday had forecast rain and Dipper had enough sense to pack an umbrella in his backpack the day before. The rain started light and Dipper thought he could make it without having to stop to retrieve the umbrella but the universe was decidedly against him today. The rain picked up speed at an alarming rate and was surprising cold. Cold rain in the face was the worst.

Dipper stopped to retrieve his umbrella knowing he was losing precious seconds. He zipped his bag back up, hoisted it onto his shoulders, opened his umbrella and proceeded on his way. What he didn't realise though was that his backpack hadn't zipped all the way back up properly and was slowly falling open again at every jostle.

Looking at his watch again, he estimated he had fifteen minutes to cover a distance that wold take ten minutes. He slowed to a walk to try and regain some of his breath. So, this of course, was when the universe laughed at him again. This time the heavy contains of his bag spilled out onto the floor, most of which landed in a dirty, muddy puddle.

Dipper cursed under his breath and bent down quickly to gather it all back up. Some of his notebooks were drenched but the library books were okay due to their waterproof coverings. If he damaged a library book he may have cried. But for now he just shoved it all back into the bag, he could deal with it later. He zipped his bag up tightly this time and was on his way again, once more resuming his brisk walk trying to make up for the lost time. He may be a minute or two late but he would get there dammit.

And then, this universe and all its parallel universes agreed unanimously to mess with him again. This time with the wind. Umbrellas and wind did not mix, especially in a strong wind. Dipper fought to control the umbrella that wanted to go all Mary Poppins on him and ultimately failed. The umbrella turned inside out and a couple of the supporting arms broke.

Dipper swore out loud and chucked it at the nearest bin.

It missed.

He cursed again causing some people to give him funny looks but he was oblivious to them. He stalked over to the umbrella that lay at the edge of the bin, picking it up and rammed it into the bin with much more force than was necessary, stabbing himself in the finger in the process.

He was now soaked to the bone with his chocolate brown hair plastered to his head. He looked like a drowned rat but this look had one advantage: it covered his birthmark. His birthmark was situated on his forehead and was in the perfect shape of the big dipper constellation, hence his nickname. Though he wasn't as self-conscious about it as he used to be; he was in a university with all new people and that brought the self-consciousness crashing back in tidal waves. His blue and white trucker hat with a blue pine tree motif usually covered it for him but in his haste to leave that morning he'd forgotten it.

He cursed Mabel silently, yet again. Just because she didn't have any 9 AM classes didn't mean that no-one did!

He gave himself to his fate of being late and probably catching pneumonia and continued his walk facing the ground, listening to his shoes squelch. He was exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally. He didn't care if he missed the whole lecture. He had tried alright!

Suddenly the rain wasn't pelting him in the face anymore. He looked up in confusion and met the bright forest green eyes of a beautiful stranger. They were taller than Dipper but everyone was taller than Dipper. They had a light tan that was a big achievement in a place like this and obviously dyed golden hair styled to look messy. Dipper's was naturally a rat's nest no matter what he did to it. They were also wearing a complete black suit with gold accents under a long black trench coat. Dipper could see that their ears were pierced in multiple places but they weren't wearing any earrings currently.

"Here," He said with a kind smile. "it looks like you need this more than I do." He continued as he pressed the handle of his bright yellow umbrella into Dipper's hand.

Before Dipper could respond in any way the green-eyed stranger walked away pulling on a hat with a wide brim out of his bag they hung at his side. Dipper was too shocked to move for a moment and then remembered his motor skills as he gave chase to the handsome stranger. But they had long legs and an uncanny ability to weave through the flow of human traffic without a problem and Dipper soon lost his quarry.

Dipper shook it off, he had a place to be. Eventually he made it to the building he needed, climbed up three agonising sets of stairs, battled through swarms of people only to find a note tapped to the door. It said that his lecturer was ill and wouldn't be in today and that their work was on the university server to be completed before their next lecture.

Great. Absolutely freaking fabulous.

Dipper leaned heavily against the wall and slowly slid down until he fell to the floor with a thump. A couple students looked at him but they ultimately ignored him. He sat there until all the students had gone into their respective classrooms leaving him in an empty hallway. He felt too numb from the cold rain and frustration to move.

He knew he should logically head to the library, complete the set work and then go home but in all honestly he couldn't be bothered. He was emotionally done for the day and it wasn't even half past nine! All he wanted was to fork out an arm and a leg for a taxi home; run a long, hot, relaxing bath until he turned the colour of a well-cooked lobster, eat chocolate until his stomach hurt and binge-watch Ducktective on his laptop.

He slowly gathered the energy to stand up and clambered all the way back down the stairs, put the bright yellow umbrella back up as he left the building and did just that.

At home later that night after he finished all of season one of Ducktective he salvaged what he could of his backpack. The stationary was alright as it'd been in his pencil case, the library books were okay, two notebooks had turned to mush but the other two weren't that badly damaged.

When he got ready for bed, he set three alarms – just in case.

The next morning was the polar opposite of the day before. He woke before any of his alarms went off, startling himself when the third one rang out. He ate a good breakfast made by Mabel in an attempted apology for yesterday morning. Picked out decent clothes with Mabel's help. He was usually her test subject anyway and she did have a good eye for what would work well together so he didn't mind in the slightest. Washed his face, brushed his teeth and donned his trucker hat with time to spare.

It felt good. After his disaster of a day yesterday the universe owed him one.

He sat at the breakfast bar next to Mabel who was completing some rough sketches for her class later, sipping his second coffee of the morning.

"Oh, Dippingsauce," She said offhand, concentrating on her shading causing Dipper to cringe at the nickname. It had been banned from being spoken outside of this flat. "Who's B.C.?"

Dipper was confused. Mabel may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but even she should know what B.C. meant.

"Umm… Before Christ? You know, the time period. Romans and Vikings and such."

At that Mabel did look up with a 'duh' expression.

"I know that you idiot. I may not be a history nerd like you but I know the basics." She said incredulously. Dipper felt bad, he hadn't meant to offend her but if not that; then what was she talking about?

"I meant that horribly bright yellow umbrella by the door. It's not mine because I have taste and practically everything you own is blue or red. Plus it has a tag on the handle that says 'B.C.' So, who are they?"

Dipper gave her a quizzical look as he set his coffee down and wandered over to the front door to inspect the umbrella in question. And sure enough the bright yellow umbrella was there, leaning against the wall. He took a closer look at the handle and just as Mabel said there was a tag that read 'B.C.'

He carried it back to the counter as he spoke.

"You know Mabel, I actually have no idea. Some guy in the street just gave it to me after mine broke." He lay the umbrella on the counter and stared at it. He picked his coffee back up and resumed his sipping.

"That was awfully nice of him. The weather yesterday was dreadful."

Dipper shot her a 'no shit Sherlock' look as she started to giggle. She'd seen him the day before when he came back. She laughed at him for ten minutes straight.

"I should try and return it really. I have no idea who he was. He did stand out though. He had this… air about him, you know?" Dipper stated as he gestured with his hand, trying to find the right words to describe the man.

Mabel grinned at him as he struggled. "If I didn't know any better bro-bro, I'd say you have a crush." She sing-song-ed.

Dipper sputtered in denial but felt his face heat up nonetheless. Even he could appreciate a good-looking bloke when he saw one.

"I'm just grateful alright?" He knew he was being overly defensive but Mabel was kind of right. That man had been fine. "People don't do that sort of thing nowadays. The world needs more kindness Mabel."

"I'm teasing you Dips. You're no fun since you became a serious uni student." She stuck her tongue out at him letting him know she didn't mean it. He stuck his tongue out at her as well and they both shared a chuckle.

Dipper decided to keep the umbrella in his bag from that point on. If he ever ran into the golden-haired man again he would return it.

This was going to happen far sooner than he expected.

 **A/N: Please let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2 is here! I have a schedule that I'm trying to stick to for writing fanfiction so updates for all of my stories should be quicker then they were. Well, that's enough. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Have you seen him?"

"I know! He's so hot! I wonder who he is…"

"I don't care who he is, he can do whatever he wants to me."

"He has the face of an angel…"

"He looks a bit devious as well and I love me a rebel."

"I wish I'd worn something more revealing."

All of this would then be followed by squeals and giggles and the smoothing of hair and fiddling with clothes.

Dipper sighed as he overheard the conversation as he made his way to his physics lecture. Girls had been talking nonsense like this all day. Apparently; there was a new lecturer or someone similar walking around who was hot. Dipper was glad physics was his last lecture of the day so he could go home and escape the madness. He really couldn't care less.

He entered his classroom and dropped into his usual seat at the front of the room. He prepared his stationary and notebook ready to take as many notes as he could. Physics was his favourite class and today's lecture was going to be awesome. He could feel it.

Their professor Dr. Fiddleford McGucket had a tendency to ramble and go off on tangents but he knew his stuff. He'd worked alongside some of the greats and was a well accomplished inventor in his own right. Dipper wished he'd be able to do half the things that man had done, hopefully with his sanity intact though. For as well as rambling he would also randomly cackle to himself or say made-up words. Dipper still admired him and was the reason he wanted to attend this university.

The classroom quietened immediately as the professor entered to room. However, the man that followed him caused a gasp to travel through the female population of the class (and some of the guys) and whispered conversations started up instantaneously.

Dipper assumed this was the man that was causing the stir throughout the university. And he could see why. He was suddenly glad that he was the nerd he was, as sitting in the front row enabled him to stare at the man without making it obvious.

Forest green eyes were set into a chiselled narrow face. Messy golden hair was a brilliant contrast to the crisp black suit he wore. Dipper could see he wore an earring in the shape of a triangle with other various studs climbing his ear. His bowtie was gold and matched the shade of his hair perfectly. His overall posture declared that he was not someone to be messed with. He moved like he owed the place which Dipper learned he kind of did.

"Class," Dr. McGucket began loudly, capturing his students attention again. "I'm sure most of you are aware of our current guest. For those of you who don't know, this is Mr. Bill Cipher; the universities main benefactor. He likes to check in from time to time to see how his money is being spent. He is also a personal friend of mine and I expect you all to treat him with respect. Now on to today's lecture." The professor said all of this with a wide smile and Bill smiled back as he observed the room.

Bill sat himself in the corner for most of the lecture, though he did interject every now and then and Dipper found himself in awe over how much Bill seemed to know. Half of what he said wasn't in any of the physics books he'd read and he'd read a lot of them. As well as being cool as a cucumber and hot as lava; he was smart to boot. Dipper would love to pick his brain sometime but he knew realistically that would never happen.

The girl next to Dipper had a dreamy look on her face and if she sighed with longing _one more time_ Dipper was going to kill her. She hadn't taken a single note all lecture and had instead filled her page with hearts and R.S. + B.C. = 4EVA. Dipper covered up his scoff with a coughing fit.

The lecture on the possibly of pocket dimensions was mesmerising and at one point the professor and Bill had gotten into an argument. It had been amazing to watch. Both brought up fascinating points and were throwing evidence and explanations at each other like a verbal sword fight.

Bill had actually shed the blazer of his suit, rolled up his shirt sleeves and took to the blackboard to complete his point with several diagrams.

A collective sigh rippled through the females when the tattoo on Bill's arm was exposed. It looked like a zodiac wheel of some kind but Dipper didn't get a good look, he was more concerned about coping the diagrams Bill had drawn. It was far beyond what they needed to know to pass their exams but Dipper figured he could come back to them at a later date.

Professor McGucket had ultimately conceded to Bill's argument and declared that he was going to be writing some angry letters later on. Bill's smug grin caused Dipper's neighbour to sigh again and he was _this close_ to breaking his pen in frustration.

Before he knew it, the lecture was over but Dipper still had a million questions. He was going to stay behind and ask several of them as he always did and hopefully get a few answers. If Bill Cipher happened to be there as well then… Well, Dipper didn't actually know how he felt about that.

"Professor?" He called as the classroom emptied. Girls gazing over their shoulders to get one last look at Bill. The professor turned to him with a toothy smile. He'd been waiting for Dipper's questions. It was practically tradition at this point. They spoke so often that Dipper knew the professors first name. He honestly considered the professor a close friend.

"Ahh, Mason. How can I help you?" He greeted.

It always took Dipper a few moments to realise it was him being addressed when people calling him by his real name. The professor knew his nickname but must have decided to stick to formality with Bill's presence.

"I just had a few questions about pocket dimensions." Dipper said as he dug in his bag for his notebook and a pen.

"Go right ahead, though Bill here knows more on the subject than I do." He replied with a laugh as he clapped Bill on the shoulder.

Bill grinned at the professor and then turned his attention to Dipper. He'd noticed how eager this student had been in particular. As he saw Dipper's face recognition quickly flashed through his eyes. Dipper didn't see it though as he was looking at something the professor was showing him.

"So, umm, Mason was it?" Bill asked keeping his cool. The boy in front of him now was very different from the one he'd met yesterday. Cuter too, but maybe that was because he wasn't soaked to the bone.

 _No Bill_. He chastised himself sternly. _No flirting. He's a student_.

Dipper nodded in response and then fell into complete nerd mode in panic of being in Bill's presence. He could feel his body temperature rising and he prayed that his face wasn't as red as it felt. Bill either genuinely didn't know the affect he had on people or he was a hundred percent aware of it and used it to his advantage. Dipper definitely suspected the latter, if Bill's lazy smirk was anything to go by.

"Do you think it will ever be possible to travel between dimensions? Is it possible for pocket dimensions to have pocket dimensions? I mean, how weird wold that be? And if they did, do you think the inhabitants of the pocket dimension know they're a pocket dimension to us? What if we're a pocket dimension?" Dipper knew he was rambling but he couldn't stop himself. Once his brain got hold of something interesting, that was it and he needed to find out as much as he could about the subject. And right in front of him was someone who seemed to know a lot on the topic. Plus, Bill was gorgeous. Was Dipper sure he hadn't gotten pneumonia yesterday and died?

It got to the point where his rambling didn't make any sense anymore. Bill had to resort to putting his hand over Dipper's mouth to quieten him. Dipper's words died instantly as his brain short-circuited.

"Mason. Stop. You need to breath you know." Bill joked. He lowered his hand and Dipper found he could breath again. "I'd be more than happy to answer those questions and the millions of others you've no doubt got whirling around in your head," Bill continued will a smile and then his face fell as he looked at the clock. "But, unfortunately I can't right now. I have a bloody meeting to get to. How about over coffee?"

Dipper just blinked slowly as his brain exploded again. This seemed to be answer enough for Bill though.

"Great. Friday work for you?" Dipper nodded on auto pilot as Bill gathered up his things to leave. He put his blazer back on and Dipper was strangely disappointed at not being able to see his tattoo anymore. "Good, I'll meet you here after your class."

Dipper nodded again and Bill left. Dipper was alone in the room as professor McGucket had left during his rambling, cackling to himself about young love that neither Bill or Dipper heard.

Right now though, Dipper only had one thought: _Did I just get asked out on a date?_

* * *

 **A/N: Did he? I know I'm evil. I do it so well though. Hahahaha. Not much else to say about this one. Chapter 3 coming soon. All my love!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the wait for this one. I was ready to post chapter 3 last week but as I went to post it I realised it was actually chapter 4, I'd completely forgot to write chapter 3! Don't ask me how because i don't know how that happened.**

 **Anyway, now that I've stopped being an idiot (for now) enjoy chapter 3!**

* * *

Bill finally left the building after his meeting with the university governor's. It had been tedious and he struggled to keep himself awake. He was the one in charge of the meeting for Pete's sake so that was saying something.

He was walking across the very empty car park towards his beautiful pride and joy; his shiny black Audi. It had been expensive but he had worked hard for his money and he didn't waste it on meaningless drivel. He donated much of it to charities that he deemed worthy of it and continued to do so. He funded schools as well, including this university which had been his own university; which he obviously kept secret.

He did by some things for himself of course, like his Audi, his glorious suits, his tattoo and his small house; it was nothing fancy as there was only himself living in it currently but the prospect was there for when he decided to cross that bridge.

He unlocked his car and sat in the driver's seat with the purpose of going home but he didn't. He thought back over the day. He blocked out most of it already but that physics class had been entertaining. The amount of bullshit that was written in textbooks these days. But Mason, he had been very interesting…

 _Bad Bill! Very bad Bill. Asking out a student. It's just coffee, not even a real date. But I think I'd pull out all the stops for that one. No! Stop, BAD Bill._ Jesus Christ, what was wrong with him? _It would be amusing to see how long it would take him to figure out that it was me that gave him the umbrella and there's nothing wrong with friends meeting up for coffee. Friends do that all the time._ Bill reasoned. _Let's just see what happens Friday before I get all worked up about it._

With those last thoughts Bill started his car and started the drive home to his empty house.

* * *

"Mabel?" Dipper called out as soon as he got home.

"What's up bro-bro?" She said smiling and then she saw his face. She chucked her bag of crisps onto the counter and ran up to him. "What's wrong Dipper? Tell me now." She ordered.

Dipper was shocked. How bad did he look? Mabel had chucked away food. _Food!_ He must look beyond awful.

"Nothing's wrong per se." He said softly as he sat down at the breakfast bar, where everything in the world had been perfectly balanced only nine hours ago. "But…" He looked at his shoes, trying to find the right words.

Mabel followed and sat opposite him, concern written all over her face. "But?" She prompted.

Dipper looked up at her. He tried to school his features into something less awful but he knew he failed as Mabel's worry lines got deeper. "How do you know if you've been asked out on a date?" He whispered softly becoming dazed again as he spoke the words. Disbelief was circling in his brain and he needed a second opinion.

Mabel squealed causing Dipper to cover his ears. He'd forgotten that it was his sister he was talking to. Any mention of anything remotely romantic and she went crazy. Well, crazier than usual. She jumped up a pulled him into a crushing hug.

"It's just coffee." He tried to subdue her as she spun him round in excitement. He knew the cogs of her mind were working overtime right now and that crazy train needed to be stopped before if even left the station.

She let go of him quickly causing him to stumble. "Dipper, my dear," She said imitating a wise woman voice. "coffee is how it starts, then it's movies, then it's lunch, then it's dinner and then it's spending the night and before you know it, you're married with a happily ever after!" Mabel twirled around the kitchenette as she spoke with a dreamy expression on her face, lost in her fantasy.

"Mabel." Dipper said firmly regaining her attention. "It's. Just. Coffee." The crazy train was barrelling at full speed and that could not happen. Repeat, NOT happen.

Mabel's face fell. But then perked up again instantly. (Female mood changes confused Dipper greatly. Best to not question them.) "How did it happen? Who was it? How old are they? When is it happening? Do you know their star sign so I can do your horoscope?"

Dipper laughed internally. He loved his sister, he really did but sometimes she could be a bit; much. He indulged her though, knowing if he didn't he wouldn't here the end of it.

After she had pressed him for all the details, he was dragged into his room and Mabel forced an impromptu fashion show. He was completely exhausted afterwards and was so glad he didn't have a 9 AM lecture the next morning. He had to admit it was fun though. It had been ages since they'd done anything like that; both far too busy with their university courses and life in general.

Mabel had made him try on basically all of his clothing before she settled on the outfit she deemed worthy. It consisted of his trucker hat which was Dipper's only condition, a dark green sweater with a plain white t-shirt underneath, 'smart' jeans (Dipper had no idea how jeans could look 'smart' but according to Mabel they could) and a pair of black lace-up boots. The outfit was folded neatly on his desk chair ready for Friday.

Dipper actually found himself excited. In three days time he would be going on a date. Well, a date-like thing. Dipper wasn't sure if it was actually a date or not and he tried to keep a level head about it.

He did not.

* * *

Friday morning dawned and Dipper woke panicked. This was the day. The date-like thing was happening today! _Oh God!_ Dipper thought. _What if I screw up? I haven't seen him all week either so I don't know how he's feeling about it. What if this is a massive joke and he stands me up? Shit!_

Dipper tried to keep his doubts at bay but Mabel saw right through him, just like he could see right through her.

"Dipper, it'll be fine." She reassured. "It's just nerd talk over coffee. You can handle that right?"

Dipper nodded. He could handle that. Really. Maybe. Probably not.

Mabel just sighed knowing exactly what he was thinking and knew that he'd think the same no matter what she said. _My brother's a giant dork._ She thought to herself. _But he can handle this. I know he can!_

Both left for their classes and Mabel kept up meaningless conversation trying to distract him. It worked until they had to go their separate ways and Mabel saw the panic seep back into his face. With one last bone crushing hug Mabel left to go to her class, hoping that the hug and her words had helped – even just a little bit.

Dipper entered his building still filled with dread and unfortunately his maths class that day was just solving equations in silence; which allowed his mind to wander. By the time the class finished in time for lunch he had imagined every worst-case scenario possible and was even more on edge. Dipper thought about trying to find Mabel but he didn't know his way around her building and he knew that she'd be with her friends Candy and Grenda anyway. He didn't want them to see him as a complete mess.

"Hey, Mason." A voice called out. Dipper jumped out of his skin and turned quickly to face the owner of the voice.

He relaxed when he saw her face.

"Oh, hi Pacifica." He answered with a half-hearted wave. He also heard how his voice shook and cringed. Pacifica's face clouded with worry.

"Are you okay Dipper?" She asked concerned. She was as beautiful as ever. Her long blonde hair cascading down her back in loose waves. Her make-up was minimal and done to perfection as always, just some mascara, dark eyeshadow to make her eyes pop and a clear lip gloss to make her lips shine. Her clothing was also simple but very flattering for her figure. Dipper noted her dark purple belt and smiled internally; Pacifica was never without something in her signature colour.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. You just startled me was all." He tried to laugh it off but knew she wouldn't buy it. She'd know him since they were twelve. She probably knew him best, second only to Mabel of course. They had started off on the wrong foot but after she had bribed him to help her they had actually become good friends. They were all happy when they discovered they were going to the same university but even so meeting up with all three of them together didn't happen often due to their lecture times and needing to study so Dipper was truly glad to see her.

"Bullshit. Tell me what's wrong." Dipper slumped in defeat knowing there was no getting out of this conversation. He followed her quietly to the table she had gestured to. They both pulled out their lunches and ate in silence for a while. Dipper almost believed she'd let the matter drop but she was like a dog with a bone. She was just waiting to pounce.

He re-counted everything he told Mabel and all his worries about what was to come. Pacifica was sympathetic and offered him advice just like he knew she would.

"I did wonder why you looked more dressed up than usual. That sweater definitely brings out your eyes. Very snazzy." She commented with a smile. Dipper gave a smile in return, glad to have her as a friend. She always knew how to make him feel better.

Dipper spared a glance to his watch and realised they had better head to their next lectures.

"Don't panic about it Dipper. Just pretend you're talking to a friend. And anyways, you're adorable. You're gonna kill it." Pacifica gave him a big smile, a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek before she left.

Dipper felt lighter and more confident than he had that morning. Mabel and Pacifica were right. He was getting all worked up for nothing. It was just coffee and nerd talk. Nothing to panic about at all. Dipper went to his next lecture feeling more at ease.

* * *

 **A/N: I know the ending for this chapter is a bit sudden but this was the best place to split. Let me know what you think. All my love!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So sorry it's taken me a while to update guys, life kinda exploded in my face. But an update is here so yay! I'll just say now the next update could take a while as well so just bear with me on that score. Enough excuses! Enjoy!**

* * *

Bill had watched Mason and the pretty blonde girl talk. He couldn't hear what they were saying as he was inside watching through a window. He hadn't meant to but the meeting he was in was as boring as all the other's he'd been in that past week and he zoned out. He turned his gaze out the window for just a second and caught sight of Mason.

Bill immediately perked up and then chastised himself. Just like he'd been doing all week.

He'd kept his focus solely on Mason. He hadn't even noticed her until they sat down together. As soon as he did jealousy had spiked within him. He had no right to feel that way, he barely knew Mason after all! But he couldn't help it. He wasn't used to sharing what he considered his.

An only-child that had gone to a private boarding school and was showered with expensive gifts from his parents had left him feeling entitled with an attitude to match. So, when he was unexpectedly cut off; he didn't take it well.

But he sorted himself out. He knew he still had an attitude that wasn't well liked but he had influence that made people keep their opinions to themselves. He'd made his name and worked damn hard for it.

He liked to think of himself as the chess master and everyone around him as his pieces. He would control them how he liked as he ran the game. So, when he saw Mason and the blonde girl he felt like his game was under threat. And that did not sit well; not at all.

And when they said goodbye, the hug he could deal with. People hugged all the time. Even he hugged people sometimes and Bill didn't really do open affection. But the kiss on the cheek. That crossed the line.

Rage boiled internally, and he balled his hands into fists so hard that he snapped his pen. Everyone else in the room jumped but said nothing, fearing that they were the target of his wrath. No-one said anything as he stood and exited the room swiftly, not caring that he had just left an important meeting; someone would fill him in later.

Bill didn't know where he was going; just away. He had to calm himself before he met Mason later. He didn't want the boy to see him this enraged. He continued his furious pacing until he realised he ended up in his favourite spot on campus.

It was a small secluded garden. For a small place it was quite spacious. Tall hedges gave the feeling of secrecy and you could only see the entrance if you knew it was there. He'd found it accidentally half-way through his first year.

There was a rustic bench with its paint peeling where he promptly sat himself and flower pots dotted all around with a variety of colours, but the main feature of the garden was the small fountain in the middle. It wasn't functioning now but Bill remembered when it was. It had always calmed him when he was stressed and he was sad to see the state it was in now.

In a strange way it reminded him of himself. One day riding high looking beautiful and in complete working order and the next broken and forgotten. He knew that was an exaggeration – he was doing quite well for himself – but it was the feeling that mattered. Unlike the fountain, people couldn't see Bill's wear and tear. He was damaged on the inside.

Bill held his head in his hands, breathing slowly trying to get his emotions under control. He didn't like seeing Mason with that girl one bit. He let out a sigh, knowing he had no right to feel the way he did. He didn't even know how Mason knew the girl. They could be cousins or something making his jealousy completely unfounded.

"Hey, are you okay?" A female voice asked concerned and Bill jumped at the interruption from his thoughts.

"No," He answered honestly – which was rare for him and to a complete stranger no less – with his head still buried in his palms. "But I will be."

"You wanna talk about it?" The voice continued still laced with worry.

Bill looked up then and immediately wished he hadn't as his cooling rage flared up again. It was _her_. The pretty blonde girl who had hugged and kissed Mason. He knew his sudden rage showed as the girl stepped back quickly startled.

"I can leave if you want… " The girl said uncertainly. Bill shook his head and indicated for her to sit. She did so hesitantly and sat as far from him as she could.

Once she sat herself, Bill concentrated on cooling his anger. He didn't even know the girl and he was acting like she stole his favourite toy. In short a child, he was acting like a massive child. He snorted to himself, annoying with his own actions. He turned to face her and she still looked apprehensive.

"What's your name?" He asked softly trying to put her at ease. He may be slightly pissed just with her presence but he was still a gentleman.

"P- Pacifica." She answered.

He nodded slowly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Pacifica. I'm Bill" He held out his hand for her to shake and she took it slowly, her face showed her confusion at his rapid mood change.

"Nice to meet you too." She smiled slightly. "I think." She added under her breath.

Bill smirked as he had heard her. He lent back in the bench to get more comfortable and noted she did the same.

"How'd you end up here?" He asked, thinking it best to start with something safe; not asking the question he really wanted to ask.

"Oh, I come here to think and to study sometimes. Not many people know about it so it's quiet and peaceful. It's my favourite place on campus actually." She admitted. "I planted those flowers over there." She pointed towards the left side of the garden where there were a couple pots of deep purple flowers. Bill had to admit they were beautiful flowers.

"They're beautiful. This is my favourite place too. I haven't been here in a while though and those flowers are a lovely addition." He said genuinely.

"Really?" She looked surprised. "How come I've never seen you until now then? I'm here practically all the time."

Bill looked at her. Did she really not know who he was? That was new. He could hardly go anywhere without being recognised these days. He liked the feeling of not being identified. It put him at ease.

"Well, to be more accurate I haven't been here in a few years." He saw her eyebrows raise at his confession. "I used to be a student here actually. Graduated about five years ago." He chuckled at how bizarre that sounded.

"O-kay." She muttered unsure of what to say. He knew she was doing to mental calculations to figure out his age and he notices she became more guarded. He shot her a charming smile trying to reassure her. She didn't relax much though. He looked back at the fountain trying not to seem threatening.

"I was a student here when that fountain still worked. That was why I used to come here. The water calmed me when I was stressed. Which was more often then not I tell you." He laughed and she joined in. She was relaxed again and Bill found himself glad that she was more comfortable.

"I know that feeling all too well. There's so much work to do and not enough hours in the day. I don't even remember having a social life anymore. I hardly ever see my friends as our schedules don't line up and I miss them. I really do." She whispered the last sentence and Bill felt a pang of sympathy for her. He patted a hand gently on her shoulder. She looked at him startled and Bill wondered if she forgot he was there for a moment.

"It does get better. Timetables change every year and you don't have homework all the time. If you plan it properly you'll actually find yourself with a lot of free time." Bill advised. He wasn't sure why he was giving her this advise, at the moment it was unconfirmed how she knew Mason.

"Thanks." She smiled. "I needed to hear that. I did manage to see a friend today. We only had time for lunch but it was great to see him. He's one of my closest friends." Her smile grew wider as she thought of Mason and Bill could feel the jealousy build up again but he suppressed it. For now.

"That's good. Friendships are important. They keep you grounded. Sane." They both chuckled.

"They definitely do. Dipper is the most-level headed person I know. He stops me from doing a lot of stupid stuff. I don't know where I'd be without him. He's like my brother you know?"

Bill was suddenly confused. He was sure she was thinking about Mason. Who was this Dipper person? Was it a nickname? If it was, she said he was like her brother. The jealous beast could rest easy now, she was of no threat.

"I'd love to say I do but I can't." She looked at him in confusion and Bill decided to explain himself a bit. He had nothing to lose. "I'm an only child so I don't have any siblings and because of that I have a very arrogant attitude that not many people like. I don't really have friends. I have people who want to be in my good books because of my status." He gave a sad smile realising how true his words were. He'd been alone all his life. God, that was depressing and pathetic.

"I'm sorry Bill. I can kind of relate as I'm an only child too and I used to feel very entitled but Dipper and Mabel and all my other friends came into my life and set me straight. For that I will be eternally grateful. My life is much fuller than it used to be. I'm sure you'll meet people like that at some point"

"Thank you for those words Pacifica but I think I'm past that point. I'm not as insufferable as I used to be though so there's that." He chuckled again and Pacifica smiled in return.

"I don't think you're that bad Bill but then again I don't really know you. You could be plotting my murder right now and I wouldn't know." She teased. Bill laughed. A real true laugh.

"Do not fear. I'm not but if I was, I know people." He gave her a wink and a nudge and that set them both off. The laughed for a while and Bill honestly couldn't remember the last time he felt that at ease. In that moment he decided he liked Pacifica.

"Hey," He said after they finished laughing. "I don't know how I'm supposed to do this but would you consider being my friend?"

His question seemed to throw her off and he regretted asking so after the words left his mouth. They were out there now and Bill held his breath for her answer. For a moment he had the feeling of hope rise up and he felt stupid for it. He was a grown man for Pete's sake.

"Sure." She shrugged. "You seem like a cool guy. I could use more friends anyway." Bill was stunned at her easy answer. This was more of a big deal for him than it was for her though.

"Okay, cool." He didn't know where to go from here. He'd never had a real friend before. She didn't even know who he was!

"Aww, shot." She breathed as she looked at the time on her phone. "If I don't leave now I'm gonna be late for my lecture."

"That's okay. Your education is important." He smiled as she stood up to gather her bag. "I'll see you around I guess." She nodded her assent and started to leave, she reached the exit before she stopped and turned back around. She dug in one of the side pockets of her bag for a pen and a piece of paper and wrote something on it. She walked back over to where he was sat and handed it to him.

"My phone number for when you're bored new friend." She smiled and Bill smiled back knowing he looked like an idiot. She left then and Bill had to admit she seemed like a really good person and he could finally have a phone number that wasn't a business associate or family member.

He looked at the time after he finished adding her into his contacts. He realised he only had an hour before he had to go pick up Mason for their date thingy. He wasn't sure how to classify it. He let out a breath and knew he should probably go and find out what he missed in the meeting he walked out of.

God, how he hated meetings. They were all basically the same thing with the same boring topics and the same boring people but they had to have them. He gave one last sigh before he got up from the bench and stretched. He left the secluded garden happy and looking forward to seeing Mason in just under an hour.

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 **A/N: Let me know what you think. But look at Bill, making friends! They grow up so fast. *Wipes tear from cheek***


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi again, lovely people. This here is a bonus Pacifica centred chapter as I love her and felt she deserved a bigger role in the story. This chapter is just setting up for her bigger role though and turned out much longer than I thought it would. In terms of timeline this was the best place to put it but do not fear! Bill and Dipper are back in the next chapter. Until then though, enjoy!**

* * *

 _Well, that was an interesting break_. Pacifica thought to herself.

She hadn't expected to run into someone appearing to be having a mental break-down, but she had and apparently she had made a new friend out of it.

The day had started normally enough, she woke up, yelled at her flatmates for being complete and utter slobs, cleared up their mess – even though she knew she shouldn't – and continued on her way.

She dressed in a fairly cute outfit that she knew showed off her figure without being slutty about it, unlike _some_ girls she saw around campus. _Cough,_ her flatmates, _cough_. She finished her look with some light make-up and a belt in her signature colour – purple. With a final affirmative nod to herself in the mirror, she gathered her bag and purposely slammed the door on her way out. That'll teach her roommates to come back at all hours of the morning absolutely hammered. She hoped their hang-overs lasted for the whole day.

Her morning business studies lecture made her want to find a wall, so she could bash her head against it. She already knew all of this because of her father. He had raised her with the goal of her becoming the next CEO of his company. And that was great an all but she wanted to live a little before that happened. His only condition was that she had to take a business class. Other than that, she was free to do what she wanted.

That was a great plan but it didn't really turn out that way. All the studying she had to do just to be able to pass her tests was eating into her free time. And then there was all the extra reading and workshops and practice essay's; that by the end of the day all she wanted to do was sleep.

Seeing Dipper later that day had been a complete fluke and she was so happy to see him she nearly cried. She hoped he hadn't noticed but she spotted that he seemed preoccupied. She instantly went back to her childhood failsafe; talk about the other person, turn all questions back to them. She really hoped he didn't notice that. He had helped her break the habit after all and come out of her shell.

He told her his worries and she gave the advice she knew he needed to hear. Dipper was so open with his expressions, it was easy to read him. She on the other hand knew how to keep her feelings guarded. Again, trained by her father.

They left for their classes and Pacifica for one felt much lighter. She actually learned something in that lecture and she felt she deserved a break afterwards. She headed to her favourite place on campus – the fountain garden. She didn't know if that was what it was actually called but she referred to it like that in her head. Not many people knew about it and she hoped to keep it that way.

It was the best place for her to relax and do something other than study which she didn't get to do a lot of these days. She usually thought about her childhood after she met Dipper and Mabel. They'd opened so many doors for her and she actually made friends instead of followers. They were good times, especially when they went mini-golfing. She'd whoop both their asses but they never gave up trying to beat her. It made her happy that they challenged her none of her old 'friends' did that.

So, it was a major surprise when she arrived to find another person there holding their head in their hands. After a quick internal battle she decided to talk to them.

Their initial meeting was a flurry of emotion on both their parts. At first he looked at her like she'd taken the last piece of chocolate cake at the café and then instantly switched to being a complete gentleman so she was cautious as they began to talk.

As they spoke though, she found herself relaxing and becoming more open to him. She got the feeling that he was lonely and felt slightly sorry for him. When he mentioned his age though she became wary again. Horror stories that were spread around campus flashed into her mind and he sensed her unease and quickly changed the subject which she was glad for. She had been having a good – though slightly awkward – time up until that point.

They spoke briefly about growing up as only children and friends and they actually shared a joke. She hadn't been this friendly with a stranger ever. He seemed to have that personality and she could tell he was a charmer.

When her asked her to be his friend she didn't know how to reply and the disbelief at what he just said was written all over his face. Even though she was freaking out internally she answered him with a cool nonchalant demeanour and saw the relief flood into his features.

It was then she realised the time and she hated to leave with that being the last thing said as it may look like she didn't actually care when she did. Thankfully he understood but she still doubled back and gave him her mobile number to prove to him and herself that she was serious about this new friendship. He accepted it gratefully and she then headed off to her class, bringing her to now.

She was waiting outside her management skills (which would be essential in running a business) lecture talking with some of her classmates when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Unknown: _Already bored Pacifica. I hate meetings so much. Help me!_

Pacifica snorted as she read it and the people she was talking with gave her a strange look but she didn't care. She quickly saved his number to her phone before typing out a reply.

Pacifica: _Already? That didn't take long. If I have to do this lecture you have to do your meeting. Deal?_

Bill: _Urgh fine. Remind why I'm friends with you again?_

Pacifica: _Very funny Bill. So very funny._

Bill: _I try. ;)_

Pacifica looked up from her phone as one of her classmates nudged her. Her class had started to enter the room. She had half a mind to ditch so she could continue to text Bill but she knew he had a meeting soon anyway and catching up would just be hell so she quickly fired off one last text before entering the room.

Pacifica: _I gotta go. Lecture's starting. Chat later._

Bill: _No prob. My meeting's starting now as well. Good luck to the both of us. :D_

Pacifica smiled one last time as she pocketed her phone and found a seat in the middle of the room. She felt much better now than she did that morning. She guessed she owed it to Bill. Not that she'd tell him that of course.

After this lecture finished she had another one on the basics of how businesses functioned – que more head bashing. She'd still go though, even if she didn't learn anything new. If she didn't go it would look badly upon her and if she explained why she didn't turn up; some might think she had an unfair advantage. They wouldn't be wrong, but she didn't want to be 'Preston Northwest's daughter' here.

She wanted to be her own person in this town. She had started to become her own person in her hometown thanks to Dipper and Mabel but it wasn't enough. She was still treated like her father's daughter and was often disregarded by the employees of her father's company.

She'd use her time at this university to work on her skills so when she went back home to work with her father the employees would treat her with the respect she deserved and not as her father's shadow.

That was the plan anyway. And she was slowly working towards it with baby steps.

That was why she chose to come to this university. It was far enough away to be able to work on her master plan without her father realising as he couldn't watch and dictate her every move but close enough that her mother wouldn't worry too much.

The first step would be to actually learn the inner workings of running a business. She knew the basics but the basics wouldn't be enough for her plan to work. Step two would be getting work experience in a decent company that would hopefully impress her father. This would be difficult to achieve as the companies where she wanted to go only took the best from university's from all over. It would be cut throat and she'd do whatever ever it took to make sure she got it.

Step three would be doing some sneaky networking within her work experience only after they looked past her name as most companies knew of her father's; for good or for bad as her father had done some controversial things to get where he was now. Pacifica wasn't blind to that fact and when she took over she planned to do things more by the book, so the company could achieve the respect she knew was possible for it. They could become global if her father just reigned his neck in a bit.

Step four was finishing her course at the top of the class. She knew this could be a reach as there were several outstanding students taking her course. As long as she was in the top ten she'd be happy. If she succeeded in this, it would bleed nicely into step five which was a couple years at a firm that wasn't her father's or connected to it as she'd like to experience different ways of doing things and learning from her father's competitors. Maybe they were doing better in some areas where they weren't and she could improve the company that way.

Step six would be to head home with everything she had learned and join her father's company. She'd start from the ground up and work her way to becoming the next CEO. Truthfully, she couldn't see her father green-lighting this but she had hope that she could make him see reason.

On paper it didn't sound so hard but she was only one year into her five year course. Add on the years spent learning from other companies she was looking at seven more years at least before she joined her father again. It would be a long road but she was sure she could do it. She'd just have to study hard to maintain her average and stay focused on her long-term goal.

Heading into her last lecture of the day Pacifica was ready to drop but she loved this class because of her teacher. Miss. Pyronica was Pacifica's role model. She didn't take anyone's crap and spoke her mind. If she thought you were being a twat, she'd tell you but you could also hold a decent conversation with her. She could have a laugh and joke but also crack the whip. In short she was bad-ass.

Like Pacifica who always wore something purple, Miss. Pyronica always wore something bright pink as well as her hair which was dyed neon pink and never seemed to fade. You'd think that it would make her look childish but with her attitude it just made her more boss than she already was. Her lectures were always very engaging and no nonsense which Pacifica appreciated. Time always seemed to fly by in her lectures and Pacifica was almost sad when it came to an end but at least she could go home and faceplant onto her bed.

The room started to file out quickly for the weekend as people wanted to go party and other shit like that but Pacifica knew she had another weekend of studying to do. Only eating and sleeping when she remembered or when Dipper or Mabel checked up on her as they knew what she was like.

She stayed sat in her seat as she waited for the stampede to be over so she could leave without risk. As the last of the rush left the room, Pacifica slowly stood and started to descend the aisle steps only to freeze halfway down.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is that Bill Cipher? It's been way too long!" Miss. Pyronica exclaimed as she stood and strode to greet the man standing in the doorway.

"Indeed, it has Pinkie. How've ya been?" He answered as he stooped to hug the shorter woman.

"Still using those stupid nicknames huh? I've been well considering everything. Still teaching obviously." She chuckled as she let go and stepped back. She gestured over to her desk and they proceeded to sit down opposite each other.

"You know it." Bill smiled and then turned solemn. "I heard through the grapevine about your divorce." At those words Pyronica's face darkened and Pacifica was shocked. She hadn't even known that she was married to begin with. She began to move down the steps again knowing that it wasn't her place to overhear this.

"Ahh well. Things happen." Pyronica tried to brush it off but both Bill and Pacifica knew she was faking.

"I always told you Keyhole was no good for you." Bill said gently as he grasped Pyronica's outstretched hands.

"I know, I know. And you were right as usual." They both laughed and Pacifica was almost at the door when Pyronica noticed her and called her over. Pacifica looked at Bill as she crossed the room and she saw his confusion that quickly moved to understanding.

"Yes Miss Pyronica?" She asked when she reached them avoiding looking at Bill.

"Didn't you say you were looking into work experience within corporate businesses?" Pacifica nodded in response and she spared a glance at Bill who seemed intrigued. "Well, Bill here happens to be the head of Weirdmageddon. Otherwise known as Cipher Industries."

Pacifica froze again. She _knew_ that company. Everyone in the corporate world knew that company. Her father had been trying to cut a deal with them for years! And she had just befriended their frigging CEO! Oh God, what if he thought she had only befriended him for her father? Shit.

Bill was oblivious to her mental breakdown of course as he waved a dismissive hand at Pyronica. "You give me far too much credit Pinkie. I couldn't have done it without Sixer and Fez, you know that."

"True but who was the one that followed it through?" Bill remained silent and looked at Pacifica mischief dancing in his eyes. "Exactly." Pyronica continued, misinterpreting his silence as an answer. "You built your company from the ground up. Everyone wants to be in your good books."

Bill looked back at Pyronica and chuckled. "Now that's definitely true. You mentioned something about work experience?" He directed the question at Pacifica and she stumbled as she answered still not over that new piece of information.

"U-um. I mean – yes. It's part of my long-term plan, yes." She cringed internally at how childish that sounded. She'd need to get a better hang of her surprise or she'd bomb every interview she'd ever go to.

"Well, we do offer internships at Weirdmageddon. Would it be alright if Pyronica gave me some of your information to see if you qualify?" Bill was suddenly all business – a stark contrast to the man she met having a meltdown earlier that same day. It unnerved her slightly at how quickly he could change his mood and demeanour. Though it was a good skill for businessmen – they dealt with manipulation on a daily basis.

"Yes. That would be alright with me." She tried to keep her cool but inside her mind was running at high speed. Know that she had calmed down she stared to think. This could be step two in motion and it would definitely impress her father if she managed to achieve it. She'd have accomplished what he never could; an opening with Cipher Industries! If this door opened to her she could so much!

"Excellent." Bill smiled reassuringly at her and gave a quick glance at the clock on the wall and frowned. "You're going to have to excuse me ladies I have somewhere else to be. You have my email Pyronica?" Pyronica nodded as he stood. "Good but send it to my personal. It won't get buried in all the junk then. Until next time Pinkie. Hopefully soon." Bill gave a wave to the both of them as he left the room.

Once she was sure he left, Pyronica jumped up and grabbed Pacifica into a hug startling her.

"Personal!" She exclaimed. "He asked me to send it to his personal! Do you know what that means?!"

"I'm assuming good?" Pacifica breathed as Pyronica let her go.

"Good?" She mocked. " _Good_? No, no Pacifica this is great! It means that he's actually going to consider you for the internship! Am I good or am I good?"

Pacifica smiled widely as realisation properly dawned. Step two could be completed before step one. This wasn't just good or great. This was amazing!

"I thought you were great." Pacifica joked.

"That I am. And don't you forget it!" Pyronica joked back. "Now get going I'm sure you're gonna want to share this with your friends."

Pacifica smiled again and left the room. She was so glad she didn't leave the garden earlier. Not only had she made a new friend but because of him, her career paths were opening up.

She couldn't wait to tell Dipper and Mabel.

* * *

 **A/N: Please let me know what you thought of this but bear in mind I know next to nothing about running a business. Haha. Until next time, all my love!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again lovely people! As promised we have the date-like thingy! Chapter 7 has unfortunately been delayed as life is happening at a vast rate of knots right now. I estimate the wait to be around 2 to 3 weeks. But that's enough! Enjoy adorable and awkward Dipper!**

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Dipper was freaking out.

His chat with Pacifica had quelled his fears but as the time ticked by in his lecture he felt his doubts returning. He wasn't really listening to what his philosophy lecturer was saying and he was torn between wishing the clock to go faster to get it over with or slower so that it would never happen. _That_ dilemma should be the topic of a lecture one day. Dipper had a feeling he would ace it.

Eventually, the hour was over and everyone around him packed up their things. After a moment Dipper did as well. He moved slowly trying to keep his cool. His nerves got the better of him though and made him clumsy. He dropped his folder and then walked into the table corner. He left the room blushing as the lecturer looked at him quizzically from their desk.

Dipper made his way to his physics classroom where he was going to meet Bill nursing his thigh. It was definitely going to bruise. He was breathing heavily trying, yet _again_ , to calm himself as he climbed the stairs.

He stopped outside the door and looked through the small window in the door. He couldn't see much of the room but he could see where Bill was sat on a desk talking to someone who was at the front of the room. He assumed it was Professor McGucket. Now he didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to knock? Just walk in? Wait until someone noticed him? What dammit?!

He was saved from making the decision as Bill made it for him. He had turned and saw Dipper in the window and gestured for Dipper to come in. He took a deep breath as he opened the door. He stood awkwardly as he waited for Bill and the Professor to finish their conversation.

"Good talk Specs. See you later." Bill finished as he picked up his blazer ready to leave.

"Right. Until next time Triangle." The Professor called back. "See you next lecture Mason."

Bill gestured Dipper to follow him and he did so wordlessly confused about how Bill and the Professor had just ended their conversation. He decided to voice his question. For his own curiosity and to hopeful break the tension he was feeling.

"Oh, that?" Bill smiled as he shrugged his blazer back on, Dipper noted that he had a very nice smile. "It's just something we've always done. Truthfully, it's because I was too lazy to remember everyone's names, so weird nicknames became my thing in uni. It just stuck after that. I only do it with my friends now though." He explained.

Dipper nodded still slightly confused but excepting his explanation.

Silence fell over them as they walked down the stairs and Dipper's quelled panic started to rear its ugly head; so Dipper did what he always did when he panicked and blurted out the first thing that came into his mind.

"What about me? What nickname would you give me?" Dipper almost slapped his hand over his mouth but he knew that would just make the situation even more awkward and managed to stop himself – just.

Bill gave him a sideways glance and a raised eyebrow in confusion while simultaneously prompting him to go on.

"Well, you said you did it a lot, so I was just wondering what nickname you'd give me." Dipper managed to say hoping it wasn't to weird or forward considering they hadn't know each other that long.

"Hmm. Tough, but I think I've got the perfect one for you." Bill smirked.

They had reached to bottom of the stairs now and Bill stretched up to hold the door open for Dipper, leaving space for him to walk under his arm. Dipper blushed but thankfully Bill wouldn't be able to see it from their respective positions.

They stepped outside and Dipper blinked at the sudden light of the sun directly in his face. He pulled his trucker hat down so that the visor covered his eyes completely. This did stop him from seeing the top of Bill's head which he was strangely disappointed about.

Bill suddenly flicked the visor of his cap, starting him. "You shouldn't wear that so low Pine Tree, it covers your pretty eyes."

Dipper was stunned. 'Pretty eyes'? Bill thought his eyes were pretty? The blush was rising again. Was Bill flirting with him or was that just his nature? Maybe a bit of both?

Dipper shook his head internally. There was no point thinking about it too hard.

"Pine Tree?" He queried hoping to throw Bill off the scent of his embarrassment.

"Yeah," Bill grinned. "Your hat." He clarified when Dipper gave him a baffled look.

"Oh, right." Dipper laughed nervously hoping he hadn't made himself look like too much of an idiot. Bill just smiled back and Dipper thought again that Bill's smile was definitely one of the best.

"This way." Bill ordered softly as he grasped his arm causing him to breathe out sharply in surprise but let Bill drag him anyway.

Bill led him through the car park which was now significantly empty as most students had rushed off to prepare parties. It was Friday after all.

They stopped in front of a shiny black car. Dipper didn't really know cars but he knew an expensive one when he saw it. He watched as Bill dug in his pocket and pulled out a car key. A quick press of a button and the car in front of them unlocked. Dipper quickly glanced around for the owner of the car before he mentally slapped himself. This was _Bill's_ car. Of course it was, everything about Bill oozed expensive.

"Are you getting in or not?" Bill's voice jolted him from his thoughts and he saw that Bill was holding the front passage side door open for him. _Oh God, could he be more of a gentleman_? Dipper thought as he felt his nerves creep back into his bones and he knew they were going to stay there for a while yet.

"Pine Tree?" Bill's voice called him back again making Dipper realise that he spaced out. With yet another blush that he didn't bother to try and conceal he stepped forward taking his backpack off in the process. He placed it gently in the footwell before he sat in the seat himself. Bill gave a small chuckle before he closed the door and walked around the bonnet. He opened the driver's door and flopped down into his seat.

"You don't need to be so careful Pine Tree. It's just a car." Bill advised with humour.

"An expensive car." Dipper whispered under his breath as he did his seat belt up. The interior was just as pristine as the outside and Dipper was suddenly very conscious of the engrained mud and dirt on his boots. That would not match well with the leather decor.

"That she was." Bill replied to Dipper's comment startling him as he secured his own seat belt. He didn't think Bill had heard him. "but worth every penny. My pride and joy." He smiled wide and Dipper could see the delight in his eyes. Dipper sort of understood the notion but he really wasn't a car person. As long as it got him from A to B he didn't care.

Bill placed the key in it's slot and the car rumbled into life. Soft piano music flowed from the car's radio and Bill blushed and quickly turned the radio off embarrassed. He cleared his throat and backed out of the parking space.

Dipper's mouth formed into a teasing smirk. "I didn't have you pegged for classical music lover Bill." He teased.

"Yeah? Well, I happen to enjoy it. It's soothing." Bill huffed as he reached the exit of the car park. After checking that the road was clear both ways he pulled out into the road heading into town.

"I didn't say anything against it did I?" Dipper reasoned as he lent forward to turn the radio back on. Once it loaded he turned it down a couple notches so that they could still talk without having to raise their voices.

It only took a few seconds before Bill was humming along and he moved a couple of his fingers along the steering wheel as if he was playing.

"Do you play then?" Dipper asked softly feeling slightly awkward. He didn't know if that counted as a personal question or not.

Bill turned his head to look at him quickly in query. Dipper gave a pointed look at his fingers and Bill glanced at them as well and seemed surprised when they were moving of their own accord. He stilled them and focused back on the road.

"I do, yes. I actually have a grand piano at home. Family heirloom. It was the one I first learnt to play on. Yamaha, they make the best." Bill spoke as he made a turning onto a side road that Dipper knew would lead to his favourite café.

He marvelled at the passion that filled Bill's voice as he spoke about something he liked. That must be what Mabel meant when she said he sounded 'sappy' when he spoke about certain things.

Before Dipper could reply though Bill gasped causing him to jump in his seat.

"Yes! The best parking space is free!" Dipper shot him a 'really?' look. "What? Good parking's hard to come across in this town." Dipper just sighed in a noncommittal way and Bill chuckled in response as he parked. "Come on then Pine Tree, hop out."

They undid their seatbelts at the same time and Bill opened his door and stretched as soon as it closed with a click. Dipper looked at him stretch for a moment before he realised he was being weird. He grabbed his bag and quickly jumped out hoping to forget that, that happened.

He followed Bill into the café and felt blessed. The line was only two people long. Two people! That just shouldn't be possible. Though they had drove here and Dipper usually walked so by the time he got here walking it would have had time to fill up. But still, he was going to take this as a win and a good omen.

"What do you want Pine Tree?" Bill asked as he himself scanned the overhead chalkboard.

"You don't have to pay for me Bill." Dipper reasoned as he pulled his wallet from his backpack.

"That's true, I don't." Bill placed a hand on top of Dipper's without looking and pushed it down which in turn lowered his wallet. "Now what do you want?"

Dipper felt nervous again. Similar to Bill's previous 'pretty eyes' comment. And just like with that Dipper choose to ignore it for now. He'd have Mabel help him decipher it later. Ha. Decipher. Bill Cipher.

"Pine Tree?"

"Oh, um, just a hot chocolate please, thank you." Dipper blushed again. He really needed to stop zoning out around Bill. He was making himself look like an idiot.

Bill relayed his order to the barista and as she stepped back to start making their drinks Dipper saw her check Bill out and that did not sit well. Not at all.

They moved over to the small waiting zone where Bill casually lent against the low barrier that separated the counter from the seating area. Dipper couldn't help but stare at him. He just looked so … cool. His overall aura made you look at him. Plus, he was way too overdressed for this place; a full crisp suit with gold lining and a black bow tie. He was going to raise some eyebrows.

Dipper didn't say anything while they waited and Bill seemed content in the silence as well so Dipper just stood there feeling awkward.

After what felt like an eternity, their drinks were ready and Bill grabbed the tray. He thanked the barista and her obvious attempt at flirting with him went straight over his head. Dipper was stunned at it was not subtle at all. A slap in the face had more stealth than that just did.

Bill walked over to a corner table and placed the tray gently upon it so not to spill their drinks. He then sat down and Dipper couldn't describe it in any other way but graceful. Dipper sat down opposite him and took his glass of hot chocolate. He wrapped his hands around it, not because his hands were cold but to give them something to do. If he didn't, he knew he'd being doing a lot of nervous tapping. Bill took his drink as well and placed the tray on the floor out of the way.

"So," Bill started causing Dipper's head to jerk up. He hadn't even realised he was staring at the table. "Pocket dimensions?"

"Oh, right. I made a list. Hang on a sec." Dipper replied as he rummaged through his bag for his physics notebook. He had just found it when Bill made a tsk sound. Dipper didn't know what he did but was about to apologise when Bill turned his cup so Dipper could read it.

 _Call me sometime Goldie, Harper xxx_

The message was followed by a phone number. Before he could stop himself Dipper snorted.

"My thoughts exactly. I'll give her credit for her persistence but she might want to dial it back a bit. Instead of a sledge hammer, she ought to try something smaller." Bill snickered quietly and Dipper followed suit.

"Sledge hammer indeed." He agreed. "Anyway, here's the list." Dipper was back on topic but glad that Harper's overzealous attempt at flirting had broken the ice.

"Right. I'll just have a quick scan through but is there anything you really want answered today?" Bill asked as he took the piece of paper offered to him.

Dipper took a sip of his drink as he recalled his list in his head. "Number five for sure. I think that one will help me understand the overall thing better. Oh, and number eight. I couldn't wrap my head around that one when we covered it in class and I have a gut feeling that it's going to be on the exam."

Bill nodded as Dipper spoke. "Alright. Number eight probably isn't as confusing as you think it is. It's quite simple really but the wording is tricky. Number five we can definitely cover right now. Do you have a spare notebook?"

Dipper nodded and retrieved one of his spare notebooks and handed it to Bill.

They spent the next however long going through Dipper's list and he had to admit he'd learnt a lot and Bill was easy to follow. It was like he knew how Dipper learnt best. They only stopped to get drink refills and Bill insisted on paying for them all. Not that Dipper was going to complain too much, he was a broke uni student after all but he did feel bad.

They were working their way through question twelve when Dipper's phone rang. BABBA's 'Disco Girl' rang out with embarrassing loudness. After a moments pause and an apologetic glance at Bill Dipper grabbed his phone, saw that it was Mabel and answered it.

"You changed my ring tone!" He hissed into the device.

Mabel's cackling laughter answered him.

"Mabel!"

" _Sorry bro-bro. I just had to. Don't deny your love for them!"_ She teased.

"I know, I know. But what do you want? I'm kinda in the middle of something here."

" _Do you have any idea what the time is right now?"_ Mabel deadpanned.

Dipper blinked in confusion and glanced up at the clock on the wall of the café. His eyes widened when the time finally registered.

"Shit."

" _Yeah. So, I'll expect you home in twenty?"_

"Yes mother." Dipper smiled.

" _Hey!"_

"I'm just teasing you Mabel. I'll just finish up here and then I'll had back. See you soon. Love you."

" _Love you too Dip-Dop. See you soon."_

Before Dipper could yell at her for using that nickname she hung up. He shook his head and put his mobile back on the table.

"Sorry about that Bill. Mabel was wondering where I was."

"That's alright. We have been here a while. It's almost closing time. We'll pick this up on Monday?"

"Sure, that sounds good." Dipper agreed.

They both packed up their things and Bill stacked their various used trays, glasses and cups in the middle of the table.

They left the café together and Harper tried once again to get Bill's attention. She'd have a surprise when she cleared their table. Dipper couldn't help but pity her slightly.

Dipper made to walk home but was brought to a halt when Bill placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Where're you going Pine Tree? It's late, I'll drive you back." His voice was masked and Dipper could tell there was meaning behind what he said. He just couldn't figure it out. He gulped and nodded his assent, not trusting his voice in that moment. "Great, you'll have to direct me though." Dipper nodded again and got into the car.

They drove in silence excluding Dipper's directions and the soft piano coming from the radio. It was peaceful silence but Dipper was still trying to understand what Bill had said earlier. He couldn't grasp his tone at all.

He puzzled over it all the way home and when they pulled up in front of Dipper's tower block he still didn't have an answer. He opened the door and stepped out and bent back in to pick up his bag.

"Thanks for today Bill. It was really helpful." He said genuinely.

Bill waved a dismissive hand. "It was no problem at all. I'll be glad to help you out again Monday. I'm sure you'll think of more questions by then." They both laughed and Dipper stepped back to close the door.

"See you Monday then."

"Bye."

Dipper turned and unlocked the door to his building. He had just stepped inside when he realised that Bill had waited until he was safely inside before driving off. He shook it off into the pile of 'Stuff Bill does that I don't understand' pile in his mind and headed up the stairs to his apartment.

He unlocked the door and stepped through, dropping his keys in the small bowl atop the cabinet behind the door. He found Mabel waiting for him at the breakfast bar, nursing a cup of tea no doubt.

She slid off the stool as he came in. A wicked smile graced her face and Dipper knew he was in for another interrogation.

"Well?" She purred. "How'd it go?"

Dipper's shoulders slumped and he dropped his bag on the floor. He sighed somewhat exasperated.

"Let me sit down first Mabel."

* * *

Bill waited until his Pine Tree was safely inside the building before he pulled back into traffic.

He chastised himself. He barely knew him and he already considered him 'his'.

But just like with Pacifica before he spoke to her, the jealous beast was raging, though this time he managed to keep it inside.

As he drove, all he could think was 'Who the _hell_ is Mabel?'

* * *

 **A/N: I hope this was okay and just the right amount of awkwardness. And Bill's jealous beast is back. I promise I'll stop torturing him (and you guys) soon! Bill's car is a Audi A5 sport for those who want to look up what it looks like.**

 **Let me know what you think! All my love!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here it is as promised! It took me a while to decide where I wanted this chapter to lead into but I'm happy with what I've decided on. Enjoy!**

* * *

As Bill drove, his fingers drummed the steering wheel. But unlike earlier when they moved to the tune of the piano; this time they were drumming with impatience as his mind reeled chaotically.

Firstly: Who was Mabel? Mason seemed to live with her so who was she? Just a roommate? Friend? Cousin? Or heaven forbid; _lover_? Gah! That thought was poison in Bill's mind.

Secondly: When he met Pacifica, he was so sure she was talking about Mason but she mentioned someone called Dipper. Was it possible Bill had completely misunderstood the situation?

Thirdly: Could 'Dipper' possibly be a nickname? It didn't sound like an actual name. He'd have to ask Pacifica the next time they saw each other to be completely certain. But how to bring it up causally?

These thoughts whirled in his head as Bill pulled up in his driveway. He breathed deeply for a couple seconds before he realised that wasn't going to help anything. He grabbed his bag and got out of his car, slamming the door with more force than necessary, some leftover rage bubbling through. He winced quickly at the echo of the sound before walking up the path to his front door.

He was about to unlock the door when a thought occurred to him like he'd been struck by lighting. He was an admin for the university. He could look up Mason's details… Was he going to resort to that? It was just a tiny – massive – bit stalker-ish.

 _Fuck it_. Bill thought throwing caution to the wind. He wouldn't be able to calm down until he knew what was what.

He opened the door, his mind set. He breezed into his kitchen and placed his bag on the counter. He stripped off his blazer, chucking that atop the counter as well and rolled his shirt sleeves up. He took off his tie and undid the first few buttons of the shirt. He dragged a hand through his hair, messing it up more as he quickly questioned what he was about to do again.

He growled out loud at his indecision. It would be so unethical but as long as no one found out it should be okay. There was nothing stopping him, he _was_ an admin. And if anyone found out he could come up with a believable excuse. People believed whatever he said even if he was lying right to their face. The power he wielded was practically demonic.

Moving from the kitchen after getting a glass of water to help calm himself, he went into the downstairs study. Also known as his organised chaos. This was the one room that he didn't allowed his cleaner in, so it was a mess compared to the rest of the house. In truth, he didn't spend a lot of time at home so the cleaner probably didn't have much to do. He wasn't really untidy anyway, apart from his study.

Placing his glass gently on the desk he lent forward in his chair so he could move some papers that he'd been putting off going through. They weren't pressing but they were taking up space. He set them down on one of his side tables. Bill had created a box around his desk so mostly everything he would need was close to his chair.

To each side of him was a small table that held papers to be sorted or filed and various other office equipment. Directly behind him were his filing cabinets so all he had to do was turn in his swivel chair to reach them. In front of him was his desk, which held his laptop, his urgent tray – which was thankfully empty, a stationary pot – half of the pens had stopped working, he just chucked them back in out of habit, a calculator and a phone – which he had some messages on, goddamn he'd have to listen to those first.

Bill let out a quick sigh as he pressed play on the answering machine. He lent back in his chair and powered up his laptop as he waited. The first few were the usual junk – people asking for a pay rise they knew they wouldn't get and various complaints about how their departments ran. These always drove Bill up the wall; if they didn't like it, they knew where the door was; Bill would have no trouble at all replacing them.

The last message actually got his attention but the bad kind. Janette's voice flowed from the machine in her normal hesitant fashion. She was a ditzy girl but she knew how to do her job to perfection.

' _Oh, I guess you're not home. So, um, Mr. Cipher, I know you've taken a couple weeks off but, um, well, you see, something's come up with 'Preston Productions' and he is, as usual, refusing to speak with anyone but you. He says it's urgent but wouldn't tell anyone the details, so um, it shouldn't take that long, you know what he's like so, if you could, come in for a couple hours on Monday, that, would be, uh, great. So, um, yes, that was all. Thank you and, uh, goodbye.'_

Bill's blood was boiling again. Preston Northwest just wouldn't take no for an answer! Bill really hated that man. At least he didn't demand a meeting on the weekend. That was his only saving grace. Bill huffed and proceeded to slump in his chair, his good-ish mood completely evaporated.

He'd have to come up with something to refuse Preston's latest business partnership offer. Simply hating the man wasn't good enough apparently. He'd email his department heads later and see if they had any good ideas.

Wait, email. He'd said something about emails to someone earlier. What was it? _Oh! That's right. Pacifica and an internship_. Bill remembered. Bill straightened in his chair and loaded the correct page on his laptop. Pyronica's email was the only one in his personal account that day. His work email was probably stuffed full of junk that he'd have to sort through.

He opened Pyronica's attachment and briefly scanned Pacifica's details. She was doing well, currently third best in her class and eighth across the year. Not bad, but to qualify for the internship she'd really have to be in the top five overall. Bill was slightly disappointed, what he knew of Pacifica so far indicated she was a hard worker.

Well, applications for the internship didn't start for a few months. If Pacifica could improve in that time, she should have a good chance as it wasn't completely up to him. She'd have to go through the board of directors first and then the head of the department she wanted to internship with. He supposed he could personally recommend her but that may bring up some unwanted questions. He'd have to think about what he could do to help her out.

He switched to his work email and groaned at the inbox. He sighed and opened the first one. Bill resigned himself to a long night. Pacifica, Mason and Mabel were placed at the back of his mind to come back to tomorrow. He loved his job but sometimes he wished it wasn't so full on all the time. He was meant to be on holiday for Pete's sake. Just two weeks; was that too much to ask for?

* * *

Mabel had spent the next hour grilling him for details about his meeting with Bill. She thought Harper's attempt at flirting was hilarious as well and Dipper managed to hold his tongue and not remind Mabel that she had been like that when they were younger.

Mabel thought that Bill holding doors open for him was 'adorable!' and Bill paying for him was 'a good sign'. But their conversation topics were boring apparently. Dipper argued this saying they were both interested in the issues brought up and that Bill had spoken with enthusiasm. In short Mabel agreed that it was a good 'baby step'.

Dipper's jaw nearly hit the floor. Baby step? _Baby step?!_ Mabel had seen the mess he was beforehand, she _knew_ that this was not a baby step for him. He decided that he needed to find some more supportive friends. Mabel hit him for that but they both knew he didn't mean it.

After Mabel finished her initial interrogation she let him go with the threat of more interrogation tomorrow. Dipper just blindly agreed as that would make his overall life easier and went into his room.

He sat at his desk and after removing a pile of notebooks, textbooks, paper, pens (that no longer worked) and brought out the notebooks that he and Bill had used that day. He spent the next few minutes going over what Bill had told him and deriving another list of questions. He smiled to himself as he imagined Bill's reaction on Monday.

Dipper looked at the digital clock that he kept on his desk and decided that it was time for bed. He changed into his pyjamas, wondered across the narrow hallway into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take care of business. As he passed through the hallway again on the return journey he yelled goodnight towards Mabel and she yelled the same back. Dipper re-entered his room, turned his light off and flopped down into his unmade bed. He closed his eyes as he snuggled into his duvet and smiled as the image of Bill's smiling face filled his dreams.

* * *

Bill had just finished up his last email reply to one of his department heads when he noticed the time. It had just gone eleven and Bill groaned. He'd spent three whole hours doing work in his time off damnit! He really needed to get a competent underling. No one he currently employed was up to his standards.

Wait a second. The cogs and gears in Bill's mind started up slowly. What about Pacifica? This idea was perfect! She'd get the position she really wanted, he'd get more time off and she wouldn't have to go through anyone to get the internship. He'd never done anything like this though. Plus he'd have to check if Pacifica was okay with it. If she agreed; then they'd both get what they wanted. Brilliant, he'd ask her Monday.

Wait, Preston was Monday. Bill had written off the entire day to deal with him. It was never a quick conversation with him. He groaned internally and decided to text her over the weekend. He'd prefer to ask her face to face but he needed to know if she'd be interested in the offer. The sooner he knew the better as he was going into work on Monday so while he was there he could get the ball rolling.

Finally feeling like he'd accomplished something Bill decided to call it a night.

* * *

As Saturday morning commenced Dipper was surprised that Mabel had let him sleep in. He had prepared himself to be woken at the crack of dawn with the promised continued interrogation. He didn't think much of it and went through his morning routine.

It was only when he strolled lazily into the kitchen that he realised it was too quiet. Dipper tried not to feel too panicked, Mabel was such a loud person and this level of quiet was something he was not used to.

Just before he launched into full freak-out mode he noticed a piece of paper on the breakfast bar in his peripheral vision. He walked over, picked it up and read it. After he finished reading the messy handwriting that belonged to his sister, he let out an exasperated sigh.

'Gone to hang out with Candy and Grenda. Don't wait up. Interrogation will continue tomorrow. Love ya!'

At least he was free for today.

Shaking his head at his own over-reaction he made his morning coffee and practically downed it. He then swiftly made his second mug as well as preparing his breakfast. He somehow managed to create toast that wasn't too badly burnt and he hadn't set off any smoke alarms. That was a step in the right direction.

He finished his breakfast quickly but with Mabel absent, he was at a loss of what to do. He was so used to her monopolising his time. He gazed out at their shared flat and realised that it could do with a bit of a clean. It wasn't that they were particularly messy, mess just seemed to stack up out of nowhere. To be fair most of the clutter was Mabel's.

Deciding that cleaning would kill some of his time he set to it. He sorted the pile of clothes that had found their way into the living room, reorganised their DVD shelf alphabetically, wiped down the kitchen counters, actually organised the fridge and cupboards and then found himself at a stand still again. The whole process hadn't taken as long as he thought it would. He only killed about an hour.

He suddenly wished that his professors had set more work. Sure it was early in the year and he knew the work would soon pile up and he knew he would complain about it when it did but right now he was bored. He had already gone over everything he wanted to discuss with Bill on Monday.

Dipper smiled. Maybe that was the reason he wanted the weekend to pass quickly. He knew he'd be seeing Bill soon.

He couldn't wait for Monday to come.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter was originally going to be longer but I felt that I'd left you hanging for long enough. Plus, plot wise this is a good place to spilt. Chapter 8 may take a while as I'm also working on a request for a friend of mine: 'My Mom's the Bomb!' which is another Gravity Falls fic though sadly no BillDip. Haha. Until next time, all my love!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: *Crawls out from the bottomless pit* Sooooooo, it's been forever and a day. How're y'all doin'?**

* * *

Bill's alarm startled him awake and he had half a mind to throw it against the wall. He was not a morning person. Especially if he had only just managed to fall asleep in the early hours of said morning.

He hauled his aching body upwards and out of the warmth of his bed covers. He shivered slightly in the chill and wondered briefly why he had gone to bed without putting a shirt on. Shaking his head of the thought he decided coffee was more important.

Dragging his bare feet on the carpet of his bedroom he made his way to the hallway and down the stairs of his house. Yawning widely as he rubbed at his eyes he couldn't help but think that he had forgotten something important. Typical Monday morning thoughts.

After downing two cups of coffee in quick succession, he deemed himself awake enough to actually focus on the plan for the day.

He'd spent the whole of the day before emailing and calling his employees for reasons to _yet again_ refuse Preston's inevitable business partnership proposal. They'd collectively come up with something that Bill hoped would work. It was a solid plan that left room to be flexible depending on Preston's exact request.

Smiling to himself as he held his third mug of the morning, he made his way back up the stairs to dress and collect his things.

Bill careful selected a midnight coloured suit. To the untrained eye you'd say it was black but when the light caught the fabric just right you would see the tinge of dark blue. His black dress shoes melted perfectly into the suit looking as if they were the same colour and made for each other. And as usual his golden accessories glinted with polished faultlessness.

Today he decided on his golden triangle shaped cufflinks, a golden ring on his left index finger and a golden stud earring in his right ear. His seven-fold tie was also gold in colour, the silk material giving him an aura of calm and controlled. Heaven knew he'd need it for dealing with Preston.

Letting out a quick huff, he moved to his mirror to brush out his hair. It really was a mess in the mornings _. I should go for a haircut soon_. He mused to himself as he brought the brush gently through his locks. After making sure the parting was just right, he ran his hand through to mess it up a little. The bedhead look took time to prepare.

With one final nod to himself, Bill scooped up his bag, made his way down stairs, grabbing his phone and keys on the way, locked the house, climbed into his beautiful Audi and began the half an hour drive to his workplace.

* * *

Dipper woke bright and early Monday morning, a large smile breaking over his face. He was going to see Bill again later today. Nothing could bring him down!

He didn't realise he was humming until Mabel gave him a sly grin and asked what had him so chipper this morning. Dipper faltered, nearly tripping over his feet. He could feel the deep blush on his cheeks and Mabel's grin widened. Though this time she didn't say anything and seemed content with making him a flustered mess.

As he dressed for the day, he took his time to actually think about what he was going to wear. He decided on a plain white t-shirt, a red flannel shirt, dark jeans, converse shoes instead of boots for once and donned a necklace that had a light blue pine tree shaped charm that Mabel had made for him. And of course, his trucker hat. He gathered his backpack and found himself wondering what Bill would think of his outfit choice. It was definitely different to what he usually wore.

Dipper's mind suddenly careened to an abrupt stop. He was wondering what _Bill would think_?! Dipper promptly found it hard to breathe, his hands grew clammy, his face and ears grew hot, his heart sped up and his mind whirred. His grip tightened on his bag as if it was the only thing anchoring him to reality.

 _Oh no_. He thought, his heart sinking as it beat wildly. _Mabel was right. I have a – a_ crush; _on_ Bill. _Shit_.

Dipper took a shaky breath and tired to calm himself. In a way he knew this was coming he just didn't want to admit it. Bill was handsome sure – alright he was hot – and smart and funny and nice and just all round amazing.

But what did Dipper really _know_ about him? He'd only met the man properly once. And that was another thing, Bill was a full grown man! He ran his own business for Pete's sake. And Dipper was just a student. Why would Bill want anything to do with him?

Dipper could feel himself start to lose it. This wasn't his usual panic. Was he having a panic attack? Oh God, Mabel had left already. Should he call her? No, she was in a lecture, he couldn't disturb her, that wouldn't be fair.

 _Breath Dipper_! He ordered himself. _Count it! In for seven, out for ten._ Slowly, through trying to breath calmly Dipper managed to get his breathing under control. He uncurled his fingers from their death grip and winced at the cramp that followed. He looked up and realised he was on the floor. He must have collapsed in his panic. Sparing a glance at his watch to check the time, he did a double take. His watch told him only four minutes had pasted. It had felt like an eternity.

Shakily, Dipper stood. Deciding that for now it was better to forget what had happened, he slung his bag over his shoulder and left the flat.

Still slightly rattled, the walk to the university seemed to pass by quickly. He didn't pay much attention to where he was walking once he entered the building. He bumped into a few people and mumbled half hearted apologises. It wasn't until he accidently jolted a girl that he vaguely recognised from one of his classes that he looked up.

"Wasn't that Mason Pines?" She asked her friend.

"Yeah, I think so." Her friend agreed, the confusion evident in her voice.

"Hmm, I don't remember him looking so cute." The faint admiration there was enough to make him perk up and try to listen to the rest of their conversation without making it obvious. Someone thought _he_ was _cute_? _What_?

Unfortunately, the rest of their conversation was lost as the hallways filled with students. Though now he paid more attention to where he was going and he noticed a lot of double takes. Was changing his clothes slightly enough to warrant this much attention? He certainly didn't think so. He decided to ignore the attention as best he could and carry on with his day. This was a university after all – a place of learning – not a runway.

He went through his lectures as normal but as he moved through the hallways he received complements that he tried to brush off and lingering touches that he found very uncomfortable. He was glad when he reached the safety of outside and found a bench to flop on. And was promptly disturbed.

Before he could huff and tell the person to leave him alone, she spoke.

"My, my, Dipper. Aren't we attracting attention today?"

Dipper straightened immediately and a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Pacifica! It's so good to see you." He flung his arms around the girl in a tight squeeze, grateful to see a familiar face in the weirdness that had been happening around him all day.

Pacifica let out a laugh as she removed Dipper's death grip from her body. "You literally saw me Friday Dipper." Her smile then morphed into a knowing grin. "How'd it go by the way?"

Dipper forced a chuckle as the memory of that morning came rushing back. "It went well actually. We're meeting up again later today."

Pacifica frowned uncertain and Dipper knew his face was betraying him.

"Really?" Dipper gave a firm nod as he tried to school his features into a more believable expression. "Your mouth is saying one thing Dipper but your face," She gestured to his face. "is, yeah, not saying the same thing." She looked genuinely concerned and Dipper was once again so happy that she'd come into his life.

Dipper sighed quickly and began to tell Pacifica everything. From what happened at the café, to Mabel's interrogation, to his panic attack this morning. She sat in silence and only prompted him slightly when he hesitated.

"And that's everything." He finished. He had to admit he felt a lot better with having told someone of his insecurities about the situation. He felt lighter and knew that Pacifica would help him to the best of her ability. What he hadn't expected her to do was giggle.

Pacifica held her hands to her side as the laughter pasted through her body. Dipper stared at her incredulously.

"What? What's so funny?" He meant to sound annoyed with her and he was to a certain extent he was but Pacifica's laugh was infectious and he soon found himself laughing with her.

He supposed the whole situation was hilarious. There was nothing wrong with having a crush on an older guy. They were both adults and Bill couldn't be any older than thirty surely?

Their giggles started to subside but then their eyes caught and they were off again. They were lucky that they had an hour and a half lunch break.

Finally, they recovered, both breathing hard.

"Dipper," Pacifica heaved wiping a tear from her eye. "you are so stupid. There's nothing wrong with this at all. And to be honest I have to agree with Mabel. Everything you've told me seems to indicate that you're not alone in feeling that way."

Dipper gaped at her. It made sense. Rationally he knew that but he still couldn't help that bit of fear at the back of his mind.

"I still don't know much about him though. I'll have to get to know him better. You know, without turning into mush with his very presence."

Pacifica snorted. "That would be helpful yes."

Dipper shook his head exasperated at himself. "I'll work on it." He smiled softly. He looked back at Pacifica and now that he was over his own worries he could see the nervous energy that was thrumming through her body. "What's new with you? You seem really excited about something."

As soon as he finished speaking, Pacifica's eyes lit up and a wide smile broke out on her face letting Dipper now that he'd hit the nail right on the head.

"You remember I told you about my six step plan to dominate the world of corporate business?" Dipper nodded, he knew her plan inside and out as he helped her devise it. "Well, I think I _may_ have just rocketed to step five."

His jaw nearly hit the floor. "Wha? Huh? How?" He fumbled over his words shocked. How had Pacifica managed to speed her life up so quickly? It _was_ Pacifica and if anyone could do it, it was her; but still? Could she share her secret with him please?!

"Close your mouth Dipper. You'll catch flies." She smirked sarcastically. Dipper dutifully clamped his mouth shut before opening it again to speak.

"How?" He whined in wonder. "I mean, it's great and I'm happy for you but how?" Okay that last bit was more whining than wonder.

Pacifica shot him another grin before she dug in her pocket, pulling out her phone. "Well, my friend," She stared as she unlocked the device and started scrolling. "I happen to have friends in high places. I didn't know it at the time but my new friend happens to be the CEO of a major corporation. Even bigger than my dad's."

She handed him the phone so he could read a series of texts exchanged between her and someone she had under the name 'Golden Triangle'. At first it was mostly small talk and complaining various aspects of their lives. He didn't read all of them as that would have been rude and he quickly scrolled to the bottom where the messages Pacifica wanted him to read were.

Golden Triangle: _So I was going to email Pyronica back but then I thought texting you directly would work better as it's about you specifically. I've read over the info Pinkie sent me and I think you'd be perfect to work directly under me as an intern / assistant so you can learn how to run a multi-million company direct from someone who knows how to do it._

 _I know your ultimate goal is to become CEO of your own company one day and if I can help that in any way I would be glad to. The internship, should you choose to take it would begin in the new year. I'll give you some time to think it over but I would need your answer within the next week to start on paperwork and other red tape bullshit. You know how it is. Looking forward to hearing from you soon._

Golden Triangle: _And yes I was writing this text when I should have been doing work but I think you know my stance on stuff like that already. :P_

Dipper looked back up at Pacifica who was watching him nervously. Obviously his opinion meant a lot to her just like hers did to him. He smiled softly at her. "Why haven't you yelled yes in all caps yet?" She giggled and he was glad to see some of her nervousness drain from her face.

"You don't understand Dipper. He's the head of Weirdmageddon – _Cipher Industries_." She stressed as realisation dawned on Dipper like a ton of bricks falling on his head. "He's Bi – " She tried to continue before Dipper cut her off.

"Bill Cipher." He breathed as his brain tried to compute this new information.

"Yes." She exclaimed. "Even you – someone who knows nothing of the corporate world knows who he is. He's famous Dipper! And I don't know if I have what it takes to work _directly_ under someone like that. I mean he's my friend sure but if I take the internship he'll become my boss in work and my friend outside of it. That'll be hard to juggle. And what if his employees think I only got the internship because I already know him?! And what if – "

"Pacifica stop." Dipper ordered cutting her off once more. "You are more than good enough to take this internship; so take it." She opened her mouth to protest again but Dipper started talking again before she could make a sound. "And besides, you can handle Mabel on Smile Dip so you'll be able to handle this."

"Thanks Dipper, that's just what I needed to hear. And Mabel on Smile Dip," She shivered and Dipper joined her. Mabel on any amounts of sugar was horrific but on Smile Dip…. He didn't even want to think about it. "it's not easy but you're right. I _do_ handle her, so I'll definitely be able to handle Weirdmageddon. Ha! Weirdmageddon is nothing compared to Mabel on a sugar rush." She exclaimed triumphantly.

"Atta girl!" Dipper cheered but his smile faltered thinking that his Bill and her Bill where the _same_ Bill. He'd have to tell her, the sooner the better. He didn't want to bring Pacifica down from her triumph, but she needed to know this little potentially life changing fact.

She saw his face fall and was immediately back in caring friend mode instead of her victorious all-my-dreams-are-coming-true mode.

"What's wrong?" She queried.

"Nothing really but you know my little crush," he saw her raised eyebrow. "okay fine, my massive crush is also called Bill."

"Okay. So that'll be a little confusing but as long as we make sure which Bill we're talking about we won't have a problem." She offered as a solution not following what Dipper was trying to say.

"No. You're not following Pacifica. They're the same person."

Dipper waited for the break down but all he got was:

"Huh?"

* * *

He had just parked his car in the bay reserved for him when he felt his back shiver. It wasn't cold in his car; it was a nice sunny day outside so why did he just get a sudden sense of foreboding? Shaking it off he stepped out of his car, grabbed his bag and locked it as he walked away.

Anyone he passed on his way to his office he glared at, making sure they knew how displeased – scratch that – how _furious_ he was at having to come to work during his holiday!

Naturally everyone stayed out of his way except Janette. His secretary never shied away from him. He wasn't sure if that was because she was stupidly brave or stupidly oblivious or both.

"Mr. Northwest is already in your office Sir along with your Heads of Department. Good luck." She breathed in her typical away-with-the-fairies manner. He gave her a gentle smile which she returned before turning back to her computer. He was never gladder to have hired her. For her airhead attitude she was surprisingly good at grounding him.

Taking a deep breath outside his door, he let it out slowly and schooled his features into a look he knew would set Preston on edge.

Opening the door with more force than necessary – making his annoyance even more prominent to those around him – he strode into his office.

Everyone sat around the mahogany oval shaped table jumped at his entrance and he smirked to himself as they all rushed to compose themselves. Walking around the meeting table purposely slowly he eyed up everyone. Those who dared to look him in the eye soon shrank back from the force of his glare.

Preston himself didn't meet Bill's eyes, instead focusing on something past his shoulder. A classic move to make it look like you were looking someone in the eye to outsiders.

Bill quickly gave him an evaluation. His suit was crisp but Bill noticed a couple creases near his neckline and cuffs. His tie was wonky and appeared to not have as any folds as usual. His hair was brushed neatly but the parting was not a single line straight through. His face was hardened; lips pursed tightly together, jaw straight, eyes glinting. For all intents and purposes he was ready for battle. But this wasn't the Preston Bill was used to seeing.

For one, Preston would have never come to Cipher Industries unless he was perfectly presentable. That meant: no creases _anywhere_ , tie straight with 5 folds at least, hair in a prefect side part and gelled to stay there. his face may have looked schooled to an outsider but Bill could see through the cracks that were starting to form.

His lips were pressed so tightly together it should be hurting him. His jaw was so unwavering it seemed had has an invisible neck brace on. The glint in his eye wasn't the one that showed he was ready to fight until he could fight no more. His eyes were withdrawn and clouded. He had poorly hidden bags under them and once Bill had fully digested all of this in a matter of seconds he came to the conclusion that Preston looked… defeated.

He didn't know how to handle that but he didn't let his own battle armour fall.

He reached his place at the head of the table and gently place his bag beside his chair. With great purpose he sat slowly, keeping control of the entire room with barely any effort. Everyone there knew that Bill was their puppet master and he thought it hilarious how easily all of them had given him their strings.

"Let's make this quick shall we." It wasn't a question. They all knew that. "I am supposed to be on holiday and I had to cancelled plans to be here. So, Preston; what is it that is so urgent it couldn't wait another week?"

Every person in the room had relaxed microscopically after Bill began speaking.

"I would first like to thank yo –" Preston started to said, flattery leaking form every syllable.

"Cut the crap Preston!" Bill broke in angrily, once again making everyone jump. "I am not in the mood to do this dance. You know I don't like you. You know I don't want to partner with you. You know I'm against everything you stand for. So why are you so goddamn insistent on something you know is futile?!"

Bill's employees all looked at the table, hoping they wouldn't infuriate their boss more. Preston also lowered his gaze but did not back down completely. He seemed to have an internal battle with himself before he looked at Bill once more.

"I will be completely honest with you Bill." This gave Bill a small startle. Preston had only ever called him Mr. Cipher. This must be serious if he was actually willing to drop pretence. "But only you." He finished casting a pointed look to the nearest Weirdmageddon employee. It didn't take a genius to understand what Preston meant but Bill's employees would not leave the room until Bill had given them permission to do so.

"Everyone leave." He responded to Preston's silent request in a bored fashion, grinning in his head as he employees all raced to the door whilst still remaining professional.

Once the door clicked shut, Bill rose from his seat; walked across the room once more though at a quicker pace then he had entered it and flipped the handle to lock the office.

He turned back to Preston, causally crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow indicting that Preston was allowed to speak.

Preston sighed. Another action Bill had never seen from him before. This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

"Bill, please just let me talk. I need to get this out in one." Bill nodded. He wouldn't make a sound until Preston was done.

"My company's gone under." Bill sucked in a breath of shock. It had been expecting something big but _this_? This was massive! "It happened slowly. Products weren't selling well, employees were quitting, developments ground to a halt." Preston let out a shirt bitter laugh. "I thought I could save it. I should have thrown in the towel when my Director of Developments quit. He was the one that really ran the company; not me." Preston buried his head in his hands. "I've been advised to declare bankruptcy but I don't want to do that. I wanted to leave my company to my daughter. If only I hadn't been such an idiot I would have a company to give her!" Preston looked up at Bill once more but this time all façades were gone. Bill saw a defeated man – a defeated father that had only wanted to provide for his daughter.

"I know you don't like me Bill but please; buy my company. Take it over, make it better so she has something!"

"Preston, you know I can't do that." Preston angered and made to object but Bill held up his hand to silence him. "I can buy your company. I can improve like you ask but I cannot just give it to your daughter. She will have to earn it and that will only happen if I decide to hire her in the first place."

"I understand that. I am confident that she will prove herself to you. So, will you do it?"

Bill pondered the proposal for a moment. It was true that if he took over Preston's company that his own reach would be expanded. He would be open to Preston's market that would be left without him. This was actually a great opportunity for him; he had been thinking about expanding for a while.

He looked back at Preston and gave a slow smirk. "How much?"

Preston's whole face showed his shock although he quickly recovered himself and named his prize at which Bill scoffed. "I'm hauling your ass out of the fire. Be reasonable." After a few moments of 'negotiating' they came to an agreement. And now for the elephant in the room.

"And your daughter?"

"Yes, yes Pacifica. She's still in university but I think that – " Bill had stopped listening. _Pacifica_.

He'd known that Preston had a daughter; he'd just never heard her name until now. How common was a name like Pacifica anyways? Surely more common than he thought.

Subtly Bill brought his phone from his pocket, ignoring Preston's list of accolades about his daughter and swiftly opened his email. Pyronica's email was still at the top of his inbox. Once it loaded he immediately went to were Pacifica's name was written. Originally he had ignored it, he already knew her name after all. But now he realised that he never looked at her surname.

 _Pacifica Northwest_ shone out of his phone screen in black and white. _Fuck, fuck, fuckidy, fuck, fuck_. Went through Bill's mind. What would she think when she found out that he'd bought her father's company? They could not have a conversation like that through text or over the phone/ this was an in person thing. He only hoped he could explain it properly before Preston managed to tell her.

"Yes, Preston that all sounds good." Bill spoke again, cutting off whatever Preston was saying. "Have someone email it to me and I'll get round to it. We're done. You can see yourself out. I have a holiday to get back to." He continued as he gathered up his things and left.

Walking past Janette she gave him a look and he only answered with thumbs up. She smiled and went back to her computer, knowing that he'd explain everything to everyone when he had officially finished his holiday.

Sitting back in his car he didn't pull away immediately. First he had a text to compose to Pacifica whom under his contact list was called Llama.

Bill: _Hey Pacifica, can we meet up today? I have some news that you'll be interested in_.

Llama: _Don't leave me in suspense Bill! I can do 6pm today after uni lets out. Does that work for you?_

Bill: _Yep, that works for me. Meet in the usual place?_

Llama: _Sure thing. See you later then. :)_

Bill: : _D_

Having that sorted Bill started his car to head back home. He'd have some hours to kill before meeting up with her. As he drove, he couldn't help but feel he'd forgotten something important.

* * *

 **A/N: Does having posted the longest chapter I've written for this story help with the lateness of it? No? Okay I understand. I'll just get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness then. *Gets on knees and grovels for forgiveness* Are we all good know? Yay!**

 **Anyway. I am so so so so so so so so so so sooooo sorry for how let I have left this un-updated. I know so of you don't read profiles but on mine I have said that (6 months ago now, damn time flies) I've got a new job so I have less free time then I did but I am much happier there so yay for me.**

 **And I'll leave it there for my excuses. If you're still reading this fic (or any of my works) thank you so much! It means the world to me.**

 **I think I've only got one, possible two chapters left for this fic and possibly an epilogue. That's properly half the reason I've left it for so long. I don't want it to end!**

 **Right, I'll shut up now. See you in an year's time for the next update. I'll try an update it with a year. Here's hoping. *Falls back into the void***


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